Trauma: Before the Recovery
by RavenWriter89
Summary: The Doctor and Rose's relationship comes to a head. Sequel to "Trauma: During the Treatment."


_Sequel to "Trauma: During the Treatment."_

* * *

><p>"It's nearly May 7," the Doctor said abruptly. They were sitting on a park bench having chips, and watching people feed ducks. Despite the warm weather, he still dressed heavily.<p>

"Yes," Rose said. "Comes right after May 6, sometime after February 7." She was sunning herself and too relaxed to care about the date.

He didn't join in her jocular tone. "May 7 makes it a full year since I came here."

That sobered her up. A year since Norway and the beach and the abandonment. She glanced at him; he was watching the grass before him, his face impassive. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel sad or happy at the news. "How are you doing?" she asked, needing to take her cue from him.

"Maybe I'll just get sloshed and wake up in a stranger's bed not remembering any of it." He turned to her.

It took a moment for her to get that he was joking. She made an exasperated noise halfway between a laugh and a snort.

"I mean, that's what people usually do on their birthdays, right?" he said with a smile twitching at his mouth.

"You bastard," she said, smiling. "You're too old to be a rebellious teenager, and too young for a midlife crisis."

He straightened, trying to be offended. "You're only as old as you feel, right? So either I'm one year old, or 910 years old. Which one do you think I'm closer to?"

"Either way, I'm not trailing after you making sure you get home alright." It was easier for Rose to talk about the doubleness of his life now. Yes, they were the same, but different. Mirror images, and two sides of the same coin. Rose could never fully explain it, but knew she accepted it. "So, birthday, huh?" she said. "I never thought of it that way."

He shrugged. "It doesn't really affect the age number, but people like having an annual marker for themselves. Just following tradition."

A cloud passed in front of the sun, chilling Rose's bare arms. "I don't even know how old I am."

Silences had become part of their routine. They were no longer awkward or painful, but allowed moments like these to pass by without harm.

"So, what's New Germany like this time of year?" he asked.

Rose thought about it. "Floral." He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. "There's a big flower festival there, where all the cities compete to be the most colourful and exotic. Why?"

He shrugged again and fiddled with his shirt cuffs. Rose suspected that he wore long sleeves to cover up his scars from a barbed wire fence rather than because of the weather. She reached over and took his hand.

"How's Brazil this time of year?" she asked in return. She knew what he was leading up to and wanted to help him get there.

He smiled ruefully. "Getting towards autumn. Bit chilly. You might need a scarf."

"I know where I can get a nice one, then."

The Doctor dropped the game. "I need to go, Rose. I feel like I've seen everything here. It's getting dull and I don't want to start resenting it." He turned fully towards her. "I promised that I would always ask you to come with me when I needed to run. I won't expect you to always say yes; you have a family here, and a home, and a job. You have a life here, and I know you can't drop everything for me. Not like the first time I whisked you away." He smiled briefly. "But I'm letting you know before I go, and I want you to know you would be greatly welcome to join me."

Rose stared at him.

"But no pressure," he blurted.

"Australia," she said.

"What?"

"Ask me again, and ask me to go to Australia." She smiled. "Neither of us has been there yet."

The Doctor struggled to control his face, something she had never seen before. Finally he settled on a serious expression. "Will you, Rose Tyler, join me in running hell-bent for Australia, getting into trouble we should have avoided, and generally causing grief and worry wherever we go?"

Rose beamed and wrapped her arms around him. She could be brave for him, and took a chance. She pulled away slightly and kissed him gently on the lips. "Oh, Doctor, I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
